Legislature – Page 47 – Family Council

How to Lobby: Follow Up

Dec 21, 2011JerryLegislatureHow to Lobby

In this series, we provide some tips on how you as a voter can successfully lobby your elected officials.

Follow up is key in lobbying. After all, what does a lawmaker care whether he or she cast a good vote or a bad one if there are no consequences? That’s where follow-up comes into play. When your representative casts a good vote, you should be ready to immediately pat them on the back and tell them how glad you are that they did the right thing. And if they cast a bad vote, you should be ready to have a serious conversation with them about why that vote was bad.

Follow up isn’t about punishing your elected officials—it’s never appropriate to somehow threaten a lawmaker—so much as it is about expressing the fact that you’re keeping an eye on the political process and that you’re genuinely concerned about how things turn out at the legislature.

How to Lobby: Earn the Right to be Heard

Dec 14, 2011JerryLegislatureHow to Lobby

In this series, we provide some tips on how you as a voter can successfully lobby your elected officials.

Elected officials don’t always give you their time and attention simply because you’re a voter. It’s something you have to earn. Being polite, friendly, and positive is one way you can increase the chances that lawmakers will want to hear from you. Even a legislator who strongly disagrees with your opinion will have a harder time turning you away or writing you off if you come across as helpful and supportive rather than adversarial and angry. Don’t fake it, either. Be genuine. Legislators are real people with real feelings. Treating them in a Christ-like manner is one way you earn the right to be heard.

How to Lobby: Be Persistent

Dec 7, 2011JerryLegislatureHow to Lobby

In this series, we provide some tips on how you as a voter can successfully lobby your elected officials.

Lobbying takes persistence. When the Legislature is in session, lawmakers are bombarded with dozens of pieces of legislation, countless meetings, and hours of phone messages. It’s understandable for a lawmaker to forget about a bill or an issue shortly after you’ve spoken with him or her. That’s why persistence is important. If you don’t reach a lawmaker right away, keep trying; after you have reached them, be sure to follow up with more communication on the issue (for example: “Rep. Smith, Thank you for meeting with me to discuss HB1234. I really hope you will vote for it when the time comes, because…”). Persistent attempts to communicate with lawmakers pay off over time.